Avid Readers and Reluctant Readers

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Reluctant reader here.

I dispised reading throught school. Barely passed by the plaque on my teeth.

I have read maybe 5 or 6 books cover to cover since high school 1983.

I read 4 of those since Sept '24 until April '25.

Only reason was to impress a woman at work, I know stupid reason to pick up a book, it's complicated. She loves reading.

I can't say I have a book I loved reading.

Never read books as a family. Only after we had grand kids, did I read to them.

No reading goals what so ever.

I have a book I want to read but I need to get over my complicated issues first.

Boomer here, and I gotta ask what is the meaning of <3 ???

@jesusredeemedme2425 this is such a fun activity!

Why do I like books? They are awesome. Fun. Let me see other worlds, experience things i can´t on my own or see things from different point of view. Each book I read helps me grow as a person or teaches me something new.

What was reading like for you in school? In elementary, we had a very nice activity. My class teacher made us a spreadsheet, with our names and 12 slots. Each month, we had to read at least one book, then tell the class about it. We got to put a sticker there after, with each month having a different sticker theme. We loved it a lot.

Did you get a lot of time to read on your own? Did you get to choose your own books, or were they assigned to you? Both. We had some mandatory reads, the amount depended on which year we were currently at, since sometimes it was more, sometimes it was less. But for the most part, I could read whatever I wanted, as long as it passed the librarian´s age filter.

Did the teachers drag the books out, making everyone read at the same pace, adding tons of activities? Nope, we just had a deadline by when we had to read them to either report or take a test. It was up to us when do we read it and how fast or slow, as long as we made it to the deadline and completed the required tasks.

Did you read your assigned books quickly and then read books that you chose for yourself (even sneaking them during class!)? I didn´t really feel pressure to read it in a certain speed, as long as I made it till the deadline. 

Did your parents read a lot? Were they reticent to open a book? We had a habit for years of my dad reading to us when we were kids. Every day.

Did you read at home? Did you keep a flashlight nearby so you could sneak reading after bedtime? (Did your parents notice?) I read mostly at home, but I was keeping my bedtime lol

Did you pretend to read the books you were told to read, but still passed with flying colors? I haven´t read only one book since I didn´t have time to finish it, but somehow bs-ed my way through the test on it thanks to google. Then I read it later.

What book would you recommend to someone who doesn't like reading, to jumpstart their lifelong love of reading? Depends on the genre, but I can say with certainty it will not be The good girl´s guide to murder or The jury must die. My pure disapproval of it made me become a beta reader, so I can save the world from another horrific creation of that sort.

What was that one book that you absolutely LOVED? I am a big Darcy coates fan.

Did you ever read a book together as a family, but independently? Nope

What are your reading goals this year? Not really having big goals, as I´m currently working through one slower pace book and want to read the first 15 books from the Bible, so that´s not a fast read either as i like to take it slow to reflect on what i read. Also, most of my current reader focus is spent on the book i´m helping with right now

For those of you who read a lot: What reading challenges would inspire you to read more? These sound awesome, I´m all down for a challange once I drag myself to the local library.

How about you?

@jesusredeemedme2425 my family are not big readers but I was. I loved getting lost in a world of endless possibilities and enchantment, escaping to far away lands, imagine the characters in my mind, spending hours in the library. My teacher let me read as I wished, I was ahead of my time when it came to reading. I loved Matilda, the Twits, anything written by Enid Blyton, I'm reading all the Dogman books currently to my nephew as he hates and struggles with reading, so I do the voices to entertain him and take some of the pressure off 🥰💜

@jesusredeemedme2425

I love and hate books. I want their core ideas so I can work with them but I find it so hard to focus. In school, reading out loud was a pain, for I could not project my voice. I was constantly told to speak up, and as a result I didn't absorb much of the information as I was concentrating on speaking, not reading.

I remember vaguely we had to do a book report once. I had zero motivation to read at this point, so I read the back cover and came up with something that gave me a high grade. I can't remember the book!

My favourite things to read are short stories. My favourite book is Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives.

I think medication for my ADHD may help with my difficulty reading, but I will still try in the meantime. If I can read two books this year, I will have doubled last year's efforts ^_^ Some kind of reward system/in-person community may help me read more.

@jesusredeemedme2425

I have always loved books; they are escapism incarnate...windows into limitless worlds where anything is possible and rarely is senseless or unresolved.

Reading was always okay for me in school because I had learnt quite early and read on my own a lot. One of my few early memories is poring over a large volume about animals. It was illustrated with many photographs and diagrams, and was far above my reading capacity but I would sit for hours with it, a dictionary at my side, reading and trying to decipher the meanings of words and sentences.

The books we were assigned at school always held some element of appeal to me. No matter the theme, I could always find something that sparked my interest.

I cannot remember my parents reading to me. They both worked shift work and long hours. Maybe they did read to me, but I cannot recall much from my earlier years. 

The books I was made to read were always textbooks. I have never enjoyed the process of learning, so did what I must when I had to. But I have always loved to read novels, and eventually also began to love poetry, and in time even began to appreciate more and more selections of non fiction.

I was afraid of the dark for many years (luckily, the dark and I are firm friends now), so always had to have the curtains open and door ajar. Thus I would read either by laying on the floor near the door, or by leaning on my windowsill and the diffuse streetlight. Did my parents notice? Who knows.

I am not sure I could really recommend a book to jump-start a love affair with reading. Taste is something very personal, and what one feels compelling might feel stale to another. Books that I felt lured me deeper into appreciation for reading are Redwall, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Colour of Magic, Gormenghast, Charlotte's Web, Pippi Longstocking, The Giant Jam Sandwich, James and the Giant Peach, The Twelve and the Genie, Pride and Prejudice, The Wasp Factory, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Les Miserable, Faranheit 451, American Gods, The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse, Flowers for Algernon, and Fool on the Hill.

I don't really have reading goals. I frequently re-read books that appeal to me, or when a particular mood takes me. Currently I am re-reading the Dune trilogy, as well as a few other books more casually. 

I think reading should be fun. When it becomes a chore, one loses all connection to the topic/characters and it just washes over you without sinking in. I have always thought it nicer if someone shows what they feel you might enjoy rather than trying to hammer home what one should or should not read. If you like reading, great! If you don't, that is also fine. Take pleasure in what you will, and hopefully share some of that with those who wish to partake too.

@jesusredeemedme2425 I'm an avid reader here, as an English major and aspiring novelist! I devoured books as a kid, and I loved all kinds of books. I loved fantasy but also had the urge to know everything, so I would keep a "fact book" where I would write down facts that I learned from non-fiction books. I don't get to read as much now, for pleasure at least, because of my heavy academic load (I'm a double major with psychology), and I've also been busy trying to write my own book! I'm almost at the end of the first draft now, and I hope it will turn out to be as good as the books I love to read. Right now I'm reading the book "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros. I would 100% recommend. I'm not a dragon or fantasy person, but I'd make an exception just for that one.

I absolutely love to read. one of my favorite things to do as a kid was go to the library. We did not have any screens or tvs. Reading was a form of escape for me. Made me go into a different world and forget about whatever was going on. It also introduced me to people that we like me, or facing similar challenges. I think that school and college especailly has dampened my enthusiasm for reading. When forced to read sooooo much, things that are not always my choose and dry textbooks, I no longer have the energy, focus, or brain power to read. Thats why I enjoy the summer, Being able to disconnect and get lost in a good book. I love memoirs best. I love hearing other people get to share their story.